[The tenderness of it all, and the words of encouragement, all help soothe Ryou's pain. It was scary, being stuck in his own torture fantasy. If it was anyone else, he'd be thoroughly terrified and probably never recover.

His tail winds more tightly around Atem's calf, but the rest of him starts to relax. His heart, his breathing, his grip...though the fingers in Atem's hair can't help but move, weaving carefully through the thickness of his hair. His fingertips settle against Atem's scalp and move gently.

After all...Ryou had made him do this. He wants to handle Atem carefully as well, to comfort him as best he can.]

Without you...I'd be lost.

[He says it with conviction, and with a great deal of emotion.]

Thank you for...pushing the bad thoughts away. I'm glad I did it, I wanted to...to show that I can be strong, and take what's deserved without compromise.

[His fingers tug lightly at the smallest strands of Atem's hair, purposely, to try and comfort and distract.]

I love you. I'm yours, completely. It was wrong to try and give myself away to someone else.